Health-E News: Fighting for food as costs soar

You know the story. You go to the supermarket and come out with less than expected, having paid more than you had budgeted for. Food inflation has risen rapidly over the past year, fueled by the drought, a weak rand and, some say, market manipulation by retailers. A 25kg bag of maize meal – South Africa’s staple food – has increased by almost a third in the past year, now costing R225, 82. Meanwhile, onions cost 75% more and potatoes 70% more than a year ago. “The prices really get your heart beating. All of the big things have gone up,” a woman told the Pietermaritzburg Agency for Community Social Action (PACSA), which monitors the cost of food.